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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24023629">The Rookie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Engineer_Outside92/pseuds/Engineer_Outside92'>Engineer_Outside92</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Open Heart (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Boss/Employee Relationship, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Slow Burn, Teacher-Student Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:55:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,161</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24023629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Engineer_Outside92/pseuds/Engineer_Outside92</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Ethan Ramsey is not looking forward to Intern Orientation Day. He is a man of order and control, and throwing all these newbies into the mix brings a level of chaos to the hospital that irritates him to no end. He is known for being demanding, impatient, and a bit of an ass which keeps everyone at arm's length, and that suits him just fine. At least, until he meets an intern who enters his life and flips his highly structured existence on its head. She has the potential to be great, but will he be able to keep their relationship purely professional, or will this enigmatic girl worm her way into his life, and into his heart?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1- The Rookie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have played all of the available chapters for Open Heart Books 1 and 2 and, while waiting for it to come off of hiatus, needed more! I love Ethan's character and wanted to explore him more so I decided to re-write the series from his perspective. This means that scenes not involving Ethan and secondary characters might be skipped over.  This first chapter covers through his first encounter with MC, who I have named Mia Kent. It was longer than anticipated so hopefully, I will pick up the pace as things progress. This is my first ever fanfic so please be kind. As always, everything belongs to Pixelberry.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dr. Ethan Ramsey no longer needed an alarm clock. Over the past two years, he had developed a routine that he followed religiously, with little effort or thought on his part. He would get up at 4 am, grab his gym bag, his hospital ID badge, and his lunch and head to Edenbrook Hospital. There, he would work out in the employee gym, shower, and be in his office looking over case files by 5:30. His routine gave order to his day, and he craved order like a drug. But on this particular morning, he was struggling to find the will to pull himself from his bed. He was dreading today, as he dreaded this day every year. It was intern orientation day.</p>
<p>He didn’t mind the interns themselves per se, but on the first day of their medical careers, they ran around the hospital like entitled children, patting themselves on the back for achieving their dream without ever really thinking of what that dream might look like in the cold, fluorescent hospital lights. They all come to Edenbrook with ideas of rushing in and saving lives, performing complex surgeries, and curing diseases. Many of them have never had a passing thought about the patients they won’t be able to save, because up until this point, everything has been a hypothetical. </p>
<p>Soon, reality would come crashing down, and they would realize that perfect SAT scores and an ivy league education didn’t, in fact, make them superman. That was the moment, Ethan knew, that the real teaching could begin. That was when he could push them to become good doctors. Some maybe even would become great doctors. But that day was far off. </p>
<p>Ethan sighed and got out of bed, padding over to his bathroom in his penthouse apartment. He splashed some water on his face and, after drying himself on the towel next to the sink, examined himself in the mirror. He felt a lot older than he looked. His dark brown hair and goatee were trimmed in the same style they had been for the last 15 years. His complexion was pale but the cold water had brought out the rosy blush that stained his cheeks whenever he was excited (much to his chagrin). Daily workouts had kept him toned and fit so that he hadn’t started to develop that “dad bod” some of his college friends were sporting now. For 37, he looked damn good. </p>
<p>But his eyes, while still the same piercing blue, now held a lifetime of emotions. He had seen so much in his tenure as a doctor, and while he tried not to carry it with him, it wasn’t always possible.<br/>
Sometimes he wished he had let himself go a bit more because maybe then he wouldn’t stick out so much, even at 6’4” tall. He just didn’t want to be so damn recognizable; another reason he hated orientation day. In the medical world, Ethan was something of a celebrity, and he detested it with every inch of his being. People told him he should be proud because his work as a diagnostician was what made him famous in the first place. And he was proud of his work. His notoriety allowed him to get more funding for his hospital, help more patients, take on the toughest cases, and those were all things he loved. But on the other hand, being famous meant people always wanted something from you. From drug companies trying to get him to back their products, to med students applying to Edenbrook to be able to work with <em>The Ethan Ramsey</em> it exhausted him, and he just wanted to be left alone. </p>
<p>Ethan grabbed his gym bag and headed for the door, glancing at the clock one last time. 5:00 am. Damn, his schedule was so messed up already. </p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Two hours later, Ethan was in his office reading case files when there was a knock on his door. When he didn’t answer, his door opened and Harper Emery, Chief of Medicine at Edenbrook poked her head in. “Did you forget that intern orientation starts in 15 minutes?” She asked, frowning slightly. </p>
<p>“Who could forget that?” He responded sarcastically, not looking up from his current case file. </p>
<p>“Well are you planning on coming down?” She asked, crossing her arms and giving him her best “I’m the boss” look. He met her eyes and scoffed, shaking his head. Harper sighed, letting her arms fall to her side. “You do remember my niece is part of the intern group today, don’t you? I was hoping to introduce you to her.”</p>
<p>Ethan sighed rolling his eyes. “I am sure I will have plenty of chances to meet her on the floor Harper. I know she is your niece, but I hope you don’t expect me to treat her differently than all the other interns. I can’t give her private lessons or a free pass if that is what you are asking.” He knew he was being an ass, but he liked the way it wiped the overly friendly smile off her face. </p>
<p>When he had joined Edenbrook 2 years ago, Harper had been the head of neurosurgery, and had quickly made it clear to everyone that she was staking a claim on Ethan, and all the other women should stay away. What followed was a year of her awkward attempts to seduce him, even though he made it clear he was not interested in a relationship. Finally, 6 months ago he broke down and they had a brief and unsatisfying 3-month relationship. When she broke up with him, he felt like he could breathe again, and while they had agreed to go back to being friends and colleagues, her overly sweet attitude towards him now was exacerbating. </p>
<p>“Of course I don’t expect you to give her special treatment Ethan.” Harper hissed at him through gritted teeth. “That would be highly unethical. But I thought, since we were friends, an introduction wouldn’t be too much to ask. Obviously, my assumption was wrong.” Her face was turning red and he could see she was being pushed towards the edge. He decided to placate her as best he could. He did not want to deal with an angry chief on top of all the interns. </p>
<p>“I will try to make it down to the orientation Harper.” He said, his tone gentle. “I am waiting for some labs to come back on my patient but if I can’t make it down, I’m sure I will meet your niece soon.” </p>
<p>Harper let out a deep breath and nodded. “Alright Ethan, I hope to see you there.” She turned to go, looking back at him one last time before she stepped into the corridor. Ethan slumped back in his chair and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He decided to go check on his labs himself, intending to wait for them if need be, and if it meant he had to skip orientation….oh well. </p>
<p>On his way to the lab, Ethan heard a commotion coming from the waiting room. He turned towards the noise and quickened his pace, straining his ears for any clues as to what was happening when he heard someone say “Everyone give her some space! I’m a doctor!” He groaned and broke into a run. He had heard doctors say that on TV but he had never heard an attending, a resident, or anyone who knew <em>what the hell they were doing</em> say that in real life. </p>
<p>He reached the waiting room and saw a woman on the ground. He knelt beside her and checked her for a pulse. “Her pulse is weak and unresponsive.” He said out loud, mostly to himself. He looked around to see who else from the hospital is around and sees a young girl in scrubs standing frozen on the other side of the waiting room. She’s blonde with fair skin and a heart-shaped face that faintly reminds Ethan of a pixie. Her green eyes are wide and she looks terrified. She was obviously an intern. </p>
<p>“You, Rookie. Get in here.” He yells to her before turning back to his patient. He hears a scoff and whips back around to see the girl glaring at him, a little crease forming between her eyebrows. </p>
<p>“I do have a name you know.” She snips at him. </p>
<p>“You won’t have a job if you don’t get over here this instant!” He growls back. She looks startled for a second and then hangs her head before jogging over. </p>
<p>“Okay okay I’m coming….” She says under her breath. He wants to snap back but a nurse arrives with a gurney before he can. He gently lifts the unconscious woman onto it and continues examining her. </p>
<p>“What was she coming in for? Did she fill out a form yet?” He calls out. </p>
<p>One of the nurses who brought the gurney steps forward and shakes her head. “No, she just walked in.” </p>
<p>Ethan swears under his breath. “If we don’t figure out what is wrong with her and fast she’s gonna die on this table.” He looks at the intern standing next to him. She was staring at the woman, frozen. “Rookie, check her B.P.” Ethan says and it seems to snap the intern out of her daze. She grabs a blood pressure cuff and her stethoscope and begins taking the woman’s blood pressure. </p>
<p>“It’s plummeting!” The intern all but screams this, seeming to forget Ethan is standing a foot away from her. “She’s hypotensive. We’ve gotta get fluids in her!” A nurse comes running with an IV and works on placing the needle. While she’s working, the intern started examining the patient. Ethan takes a half step back and lets her take over. </p>
<p>“Doctor look at this bruise. It wasn’t here a moment ago!” She says, indicating the woman’s elbow. Ethan’s eyebrows shoot up, how had he missed that? </p>
<p>“You’re sure?” He asks. </p>
<p>She turns and looks at him, face full of determination and confidence. “Yeah, I’m sure.” </p>
<p>“That’s the elbow she landed on. A bruise forming that fast would suggest that this woman is a hemophiliac. Good catch. Also, see her fingertips? Low oxygen saturation in her blood. Take a closer listen to her lungs. Hurry.” Ethan crosses his arms and watches as she listens to the patient’s chest. </p>
<p>“I can’t hear anything on her left side. Right side is struggling. Doctor she is going to suffocate!” The girl’s eyes have gone wide in alarm. Ethan steps forward. </p>
<p>“Nurse we have a code blue!” he says and almost instantly he has a bag-mask in his hands. He places it over the woman’s nose and mouth and begins pumping the bag slowly and evenly. </p>
<p>“What do we do doctor? What is happening to her?” The intern says, her voice shaking. She is working herself into a panic. Ethan swears under his breath. He needs to get her refocused on the situation. </p>
<p>“Consider all the clues. It’s all there. You know this, Rookie.” He watches her breath hitch as she realizes he is not going to bail her out. He expects her to break down, to fall apart, but to his surprise, she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly and he sees her take control of herself again. He watches her face as she wracks her brain, looking for the solution. “Come on Rookie…” he murmurs under his breath. Then all at once, her face lights up. </p>
<p>“It’s a hemothorax!” She says excitedly. Ethan realizes then he was holding his breath and he lets it out, feeling relieved she figured it out so quickly. He wants to be there if she needs him, but if he steps in too soon, she won’t learn that she can do this. </p>
<p>“Precisely. A blood vessel ruptured and is filling her pleural cavity…”</p>
<p>“Blocking her lungs from expanding!” She buts in. Ethan bristles. He is not used to being interrupted. “That’s why she can’t breathe!” She continues excitedly and then pauses, biting her lip. “But we can’t repair the blood vessel here!” </p>
<p>“We will have to do an emergency thoracotomy to drain the cavity instead. Nurse!” The nurse rushes over and hands the intern a scalpel and chest tube. She looks at the tools in her hands like they might catch on fire. Ethan lifts the woman’s shirt and looks at the girl expectantly. She nods and looks around. </p>
<p>“We need a local anesthetic…..”</p>
<p>“We are out of time!” Ethan thunders. “Do it now or this woman’s life is on you!” He glares down at her until she nods again, worrying her lip between her teeth. He hears her begin to whisper instructions to herself as she approaches the woman with the scalpel. </p>
<p>She finds the right spot between the patient’s ribs but her hand is shaking so badly she looks like she might drop the scalpel. Ethan reaches out his hand and rests it on top of hers. She jerks in surprise and turns to see Ethan’s icy blue eyes boring into hers. </p>
<p>“Hey….” He says gently, giving her hand a tiny squeeze. “You can do this.” She swallows and nods turning back to the patient. Her hand steadies and she moves forward more confidently. “There you go. Nice and easy.” Ethan encourages and she makes the incision. </p>
<p>She picks up the chest tube and Ethan holds out his hand to guide her. Together they insert the tube and blood begins to drain from her chest cavity. </p>
<p>“We…we did it!” She says, sounding shocked. </p>
<p>“She’s stable. Get her into surgery…she’s gonna make it.” Ethan says as he backs away from the gurney. People begin to applaud, and the intern turns and smiles looking up into Ethan’s face. He can see that she is overjoyed, and while he has to admit he was a tiny bit impressed; he knows that he can’t let it go to her head. The last thing he needs is an intern with a god complex. </p>
<p>“Doctor….that was….absolutely amazing!” She says, practically hopping in place. Ethan scoffs and crosses his arms. </p>
<p>“You’re right. It’s pretty amazing you didn’t get her killed.” He snarls at her. Her face morphs from exuberant to shocked. </p>
<p>“Wait what?” she asks looking confused and a little hurt. </p>
<p>“Your examination was slow and superficial. Your scalpel technique, amateur at best….” Ethan says, flat and emotionless. He sees anger flash in her eyes and she takes a step forward. He notices the little crease between her eyebrows is back. </p>
<p>“Amateur? Just who the hell do you think you are?” She yells, jabbing a finger at his chest. He keeps his face stony but inside, he is a little amused. No intern has ever talked back to him like this before. Normally, they are falling all over themselves to appease him and try to get on his good side. That’s when the realization hits him. She doesn’t know who he is. It’s a novel feeling, and he relishes it. </p>
<p>A smirk slowly slides across his face. “Last time I checked,” He says, slowly, letting the ice in his voice fill every word. “I was an attending and you were an intern, Doctor…” He reaches down and grabs the id badge hanging from her neck. “Doctor Mia Kent.” He lets go of the id badge and turns, thinking that maybe the interns won’t be so bad this year after all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2 - Don't let me down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone who read my first chapter! I am having so much fun writing this and I hope you are enjoying it! Please leave a comment if you like! I don't have a posting schedule I am following but I do have rough drafts of the first 4 chapters so I think these first few will go up pretty quickly. As always, I don't own any of these characters.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was beginning to feel like this day would never end. The interns were darting around him, pointing and whispering to each other. Some had been brave enough to approach him, telling him their relative so and so (who Ethan may have met one time years ago at a AMA dinner) had suggested they introduced themselves. A few had even asked him to autograph the textbook he had written. He had flatly refused. </p>
<p>He was making his afternoon rounds to check on his patients when one of the nurses approached him, looking annoyed. </p>
<p>“Hi Maggie,” Ethan said. “How’s my favorite nurse doing today?” He flashed her a big smile and watched her roll her eyes at him. Maggie was one of the senior nurses, and Ethan wasn’t lying when he said she was his favorite. She had been a nurse longer than he had been walking and she didn’t take crap from anyone. She could be a sweet, nurturing woman if you kept on her good side; Ethan tried hard to stay on her good side. </p>
<p> “It’s your patient in room 532.” She said handing him the chart. He took the chart but didn’t need to flip through it. He knew exactly who she was talking about.<br/>
“And how is Barb doing today?” He asked. Maggie scowled at him. </p>
<p>“Still not taking her meds. I’ll tell you Dr. Ramsey, I’ve had it about up to here with her!” Maggie raised her hand above her head to emphasize her point. Ethan stifled a laugh. Maggie was 5 foot nothing and her hand barely reached his eye level.<br/>
“It’s ok Maggie,” Ethan said, “I’ve got it from here. Go get yourself a cup of coffee.” Maggie narrowed her eyes at him before visibly relaxing and giving him a small nod. </p>
<p>“Thanks, Dr. Ramsey.” She said as she turned towards the nurse’s station. She looked back over her shoulder and gave him a wicked grin. “And good luck!” </p>
<p>He headed towards room 532, rounding a corner and seeing two interns standing at the end of the hallway. </p>
<p>“Oh crap!” He heard the male intern mutter. “Uh oh, he’s coming this way! Hide me!” the girl whispered urgently to her companion. “Hide you? Hide me!” the male intern whispered back. Ethan shook his head. “Idiots…” he muttered as he stepped into the doorway and confronted his troublesome patient. </p>
<p>“Hello Barb!” He exclaimed with fake enthusiasm. “What’s this I hear about you not taking your medication?”</p>
<p>The woman in the room just scowled back at him. At 82 years old, Barb was a frequent visitor of the hospital, and one of it’s most notorious. She was feisty and made sure everyone knew how much she did not want to be there. She required a delicate hand; a lesson learned the hard way when she had actually bitten a nurse’s hand last month. </p>
<p>“I’m not taking anything.” She says as she glares at Ethan. </p>
<p>“Common Barb, we are just trying to help you…” he tries again, knowing the chances of it working are slim. </p>
<p>“No! All you doctors are the same, just trying to drug me up! Well I’m not falling for it!” She crosses her arms and lets out a “humph” like a child. </p>
<p>Ethan grits his teeth. “I’m not going to ask you again, Barb…”</p>
<p>“Forget about it, Dr. Ramsey! I’m busting outta this joint! I’ll tie the bedsheets together and rappel out of the window!” Barb yells. Ethan tries to bite back a laugh. Now that is something he would like to see. </p>
<p>“Well don’t wait up on my account.” He teases. “In fact, I might break out of here with you.” At the moment, it sounded like a great idea. </p>
<p>“I mean it!” Barb tosses back with a scowl. “I don’t have my favorite armchair, and I’m bored without my puzzles.”</p>
<p>“And I’m bored of your excuses, Barb!” Ethan spits back, turning on his heel and stomping out of her room. He was going to get her to take her meds if it was the last thing he did. </p>
<p>He looked around and saw the vending machine. He walked over to it and jammed a dollar in the slot. Maybe he could bribe the woman to take her pills…. or hide them in a caramel. His eyes drifted over the options, trying to decide what would work best. His attention kept snagging on his favorite indulgence up in the corner of the machine, but this wasn’t about him. Plus, he had missed his workout this morning. </p>
<p>“Um, hi Dr. Ramsey…..” A small voice said from somewhere to his left. He looked up to see the intern from the waiting room this morning. She had left her friend at the end of the hall and was smiling shyly at him, worrying her bottom lip while waiting for him to acknowledge her. He had to hold back a groan when he saw she was holding his textbook.  He almost felt disappointed she fell into the group of interns wanting his autograph.  </p>
<p>“Rookie” he said stiffly turning his attention back to the display of junk food. </p>
<p>She moved nervously from one foot to the other. “I was hoping you might sign my book.” She said. She looked a little ashamed to be asking, which he counted as a point in her favor. </p>
<p>“Autographs? Don’t you have work to be doing? Or at least other attendings to irritate?” He said, still avoiding looking at her. </p>
<p>“No, just you.”</p>
<p>It caught him by surprise, and he turned to face her, giving her his full attention for the first time. He felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. This girl had gumption; he would give her that much. </p>
<p>“I should have guessed.” He said, sliding his stony mask back into place. “Well if you have something else to say, then say it.” He watched her take a deep breath, steeling herself for what came next. </p>
<p>“I just wanted to tell you…. I won’t let you down again.” She said, looking at him apologetically. </p>
<p>For the second time in this short conversation, Ethan was surprised. It took a lot of guts to apologize to a boss that had just chewed her out this morning and even more guts to admit she made a mistake. </p>
<p>“You can see the future? You will make a remarkable physician.” He said, letting his voice drip with sarcasm. </p>
<p>She let out an exasperated huff. “I just meant…”</p>
<p>He held up a hand. “You will let me down again Rookie. What’s more, you’ll let yourself down. Over and over. But what matters is that you get back on your feet each and every time and push yourself to be better. </p>
<p>She nodded and seemed to be mulling over his words. Ethan turned back to the vending machine and his current task. He was going to have to guess what might make that woman calm down and play nice, and he did not like guessing. </p>
<p>“I’ve always been a Geysers Exploding Fruit Snacks girl myself.” He hadn’t realized the girl hadn’t left yet. </p>
<p>“That’s truly fascinating, but I’m not-“ He began, but she interrupted him, for the second time that day. </p>
<p>“I know you’re not getting something for yourself. You’re trying to pick something to cheer up Barbara in there, right?” She said, gesturing to the room across the hall. </p>
<p>Once again, she had surprised him. He wasn’t sure he was enjoying it very much. He narrowed his eyes at her. “How’d you figure that?”</p>
<p>She grinned, pleased with herself. “Just paying attention. You know, I bet I could pick out just the thing.”</p>
<p>Ethan snorted. “I doubt it. Barbara’s even more stubborn than you. She’s refused to take her pills for two days. But be my guest. It’s a hopeless endeavor.” Ethan stepped back from the machine and made a big show of gesturing for her to take his now vacated place. She stepped forward, still smiling, but with a gleam in her eye that told him she was trying hard not to laugh. The look suited her.  </p>
<p>She looked over her options and pressed two buttons on the panel. The machine whirred and a packet of instant hot chocolate fell from its place on the 3rd row. She picked it up and Ethan looked at it skeptically. </p>
<p>“Hot chocolate? How is that supposed to…?” He started, but she was already walking away from him towards the nurses’ station. She mixed the powder with hot water and brought him the steaming cup. </p>
<p>“Just give it to her. Trust me.” She said, giving him a wink. </p>
<p>Ethan took the cup and headed towards Barb’s room. He knocked lightly on Barb’s open door and when she saw who it was, she crossed her arms, looking as stubborn as a bull. </p>
<p>“Barb, I’ve brought you a peace offering.” Ethan said setting the cup down gently on the nightstand next to her bed. He could see her building up to argue with him again but when she glanced at the hot chocolate, her eyes immediately softened. </p>
<p>“Oh.” The word was barely a whisper but soon there were tears filling her eyes. She looked at Ethan and began to chuckle. “My David would always bring me chocolate when we were fighting.” She said, gazing at the cup fondly. “He said it was the only thing that would get through to me when I was being a pain in the <em>you know what</em>.” She let out a little noise, halfway between a laugh and a sob and reached out to take Ethan’s hand.  “I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain. If you give me those pills, I’ll take them now.” </p>
<p>Ethan walked out of the room a moment later when Barb was resting comfortably. He saw the intern, Mia, still waiting for him by the vending machine. </p>
<p>“I can’t believe it.” He says, shaking his head. “So, are you gonna tell me how you worked that one out?”</p>
<p>“A girls gotta have some secrets.” She says giving him a cheeky grin. He can’t help but grin back at her. </p>
<p>“You’re really going to hold out on me?” </p>
<p>She nods. “I’m going for an air of mystery.” She bites her lip and looks up at him through her lashes. “Is it working?” </p>
<p>Ethan was amused. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a conversation with someone this witty and smart. He had to admit, he was fascinated by her and felt himself wondering what other secrets she was hiding. She turned back to the vending machine and pushed two more buttons. The candy bar he had been eyeing earlier fell to the slot at the bottom of the machine. “And who is that for?” </p>
<p>“You.” She said tossing him the candy bar. “I saw you staring at it earlier. You know it’s ok to treat yourself sometimes.” </p>
<p>He looked down at the candy bar and then back up to her. Her eyes had that same glimmer in them as earlier, and he found himself unable to resist the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll keep that in mind.” </p>
<p>She nods and turns to go. On an impulse he stops her. “Wait.” She turned back to him and he motioned to the book in her hands. She raised one eyebrow, looking at him skeptically before handing it over. He opened it and pulled a pen out of his pocket. Without letting himself over think it, he writes ‘Don’t let me down’ and signs his name with a flourish before handing her the book. “Now get back to work, Kent.” </p>
<p>She looks startled and then her whole face lights up with excitement. “You remember my name?” She says, practically bouncing in place. </p>
<p>Ethan turns and begins to walk away but looks back over his shoulder at her and grins. “Just paying attention.” </p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>
Ethan walked back to his office and closed the door before slumping back against it. He replayed the last 30 minutes over in his mind and let his head fall back against the wood with a dull thud. What the hell was that? </p>
<p>Dr. Kent, Mia, had impressed him, not once, but over and over. She was bold, that was for damn sure. Not once had an intern approached him after he had chewed them out and owned their mistake. She was observant. He smiled down at the candy bar in his hand, remembering the mischievous look in her eye when she tossed it to him. And she was smart. She had all the makings of a great doctor. Maybe, with the right training, she could even earn a place on the diagnostician team. </p>
<p>He remembered reading her application. At the time, he had thought she had shown promise. Something about it had made her seem different from the others, and he had argued for her to have a place at Edenbrook. But reading a profile and meeting the person were two very different things. The profile could never have prepared him for how witty and funny she was. Or how the feeling of her green eyes on him would create a warmth in his chest that made it difficult to breathe. Or how sexy she looked when she was worrying her lower lip…. </p>
<p>Ethan sprang upright, horrified. He could not think that way. She was an intern for chist’s sake, his student. He stomped across his office and sat down in his chair. He looked at the candy bar in his hand and threw it, forcefully, into his trash can. From now on he would be nothing but professional with Dr. Kent. She had the potential to be a great doctor, and he had a responsibility to help her get there. He knew he could not push her to be her best if he had a ridiculous schoolyard crush on her. </p>
<p>A knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts. Dr. Naveen Banerji stood in his doorway and looked at Ethan with concern. Ethan sat up straight, schooling his face back into a neutral expression, and motioned for Dr. Banerji to come in. </p>
<p>He settled himself in the seat across from Ethan. “How are you doing today my friend?” Dr. Banerji asked, still studying Ethan intently. </p>
<p>“Fine.” Ethan replied curtly. Dr. Banerji had been Ethan’s mentor for most of his career. He was the leader of the diagnostics team and the reason that Ethan was at Edenbrook. Over the years, the man had become like a father to him, and while he loved his friend, it irked him how easily Naveen could read him. </p>
<p>“Alright, we will save that for another time.” Naveen said, giving Ethan a mischievous smile that said he knew Ethan was anything but ‘fine’. “Right now, I have more pressing matters to discuss with you. I know it is the first day, but have you found any interns that show promise yet?” </p>
<p>Ethan looked at him confused. “No, I can’t say that I have. Some of them seem competent….” His mind was filled with the image of fiery green eyes before he roughly pushed it away. “Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Naveen began, letting out a sigh that told Ethan he was not going to like what he was about to hear. “I have come up with a, in my humble opinion, brilliant idea. Our diagnostics team cannot survive without younger blood. We need new eyes and fresh perspectives. Right now, all our candidates are required to have completed their residency; many have been an attending for a few years before applying. But if we are going to have the best, we should start their training from the beginning.” He leaned forward in his seat, pausing for emphasis. “Next year, we will be adding a second-year resident to our diagnostics team as a junior fellow.” </p>
<p>Ethan stared, wide-eyed, at his friend. “You must be joking.” </p>
<p>Naveen laughed. “No Ethan, I am not joking. That is why I wanted to know your impression of the interns. I would like you to pick our new team member.”</p>
<p>Ethan didn’t even know where to begin. He was waiting for the punchline, but knowing Naveen, none was coming. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. “And why can’t you pick someone?”</p>
<p>Naveen waited for Ethan to look at him again before continuing. He gave Ethan a sad smile. “Because, my friend, I am retiring.” </p>
<p>Ethan snapped to attention. This was the last thing on earth he had expected to hear. “What? Why? When?” He stuttered, looking at Naveen with horror. </p>
<p>Naveen laughed. “Ethan, retirement is a good thing! I am tired and it is time. I bought that river house, but I have only spent maybe one month there in total. I want to work on my art and fish and read a book that is not a medical journal. I am an old man, Ethan. It is time for me to pass the torch.”</p>
<p>Ethan was reeling. He couldn’t begrudge a man for wanting to retire, but it was so unlike his friend. Naveen had seemed set to work until he was 90 at least. Ethan couldn’t imagine a hospital without him in it. </p>
<p>“Ethan, I have already spoken to Emery about the junior fellowship. She agrees with me that it is a good idea. Once I retire, you will be the head of the diagnostics team so it’s up to you to choose someone.”</p>
<p>Ethan decided to ignore the ridiculous notion of his friend retiring for a moment and focus on the even more ridiculous notion of having a second year on the diagnostic team. “There is no way a second year would be ready for a position like that. It’s ludicrous.”</p>
<p>“Ah!” Naveen said, clapping his hands. “But that is why I am telling you now! You can groom someone for the position. You will teach them and make sure they are ready!” Naveen looked at his watch. “Ethan, I don’t have time to argue about this now. We will speak on it later.” He stood to go and turned to the door. </p>
<p>He had only made it halfway across the office before he began to cough. The coughs were deep, wracking his whole body as he covered his mouth with a handkerchief. Ethan rushed to his mentor’s side trying to get him to sit down again, but Naveen waved him off. </p>
<p>“I’m fine, I’m fine.” He said, finally recovering enough to stand upright again. He wouldn’t meet Ethan’s eyes. “I’ll speak to you later.” Before Ethan could stop him, he was out the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3 - Listening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone who has read my previous chapters! I wanted to let everyone know two things regarding this chapter. First, I am not a doctor, nurse, or employed in the medical field. When I write about medical things or the operations of the hospital, it is based on my knowledge from watching 8 seasons of Scrubs. Things may not be accurate or realistic, so I hope you can forgive them! Second, I have enjoyed playing with my o.c. Maggie and liked the idea of Ethan having a maternal figure at the hospital. She will probably show up periodically throughout this work whenever I feel that Ethan needs a kick in the pants. As always, everything belongs to pixelberry. I hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ethan was furious. He was storming down the hallway on his way to see Harper to let her know just how ridiculous this whole Junior Fellow idea was. He was not a glorified babysitter. His team took on the toughest cases in the country, and he would <em>not</em> let anyone jeopardize the quality of their work. </p>
<p>He was almost to the elevator when he heard a commotion coming from one of the patient rooms. He slowed down and looked inside to see Dr. Kent holding defibrillator paddles over a patient. </p>
<p>“What the hell is going on in here Rookie?” He shouted, startling Dr. Kent and another intern whom he hadn't met.  </p>
<p>“Dr. Ramsey!” Mia squeaked, dropping the paddles and turning to face him. She looked like a kid who had been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. “We’re fine, Dr. Ramsey! Nothing to worry about.”</p>
<p>Ethan was seething. How stupid was this girl to use a crash cart without waiting for backup? She could have easily killed her patient and probably electrocuted herself while she was at it!</p>
<p>“Your idea of under control is obviously very different from mine.” Ethan said through gritted teeth. </p>
<p>“I just meant….” She began but he held up his hand to stop her. The other intern in the room seemed to be doing her best to ignore the conversation and had continued working. Ethan watched as she prepped an epinephrine syringe and injected it into the patient’s thigh. The patient took a deep, shuddering breath. </p>
<p>“And now we intubate.” The intern muttered to herself. </p>
<p>“Excellent work, Doctor….?” Ethan said nodding to the other intern. </p>
<p>“Varma” She filled in for him. </p>
<p>“Dr. Varma.” Ethan repeated. “And you were assigned to this case?” </p>
<p>She shook her head. “No. I was passing and heard Dr. Kent calling a code blue.”</p>
<p>He turned so he was facing Mia, letting the full effect of his piercing gaze fall on her.  </p>
<p>“The patient’s very lucky you were here, Dr. Varma.” He said, not breaking eye contact with Mia.  “I’m not confident Dr. Kent could have handled this alone.” </p>
<p>Mia bristled. “Hey! I saved the patient too. I didn’t just sit here and do nothing! I did just as much as she did.” </p>
<p>Ethan rounded on her, all his frustrations from the day rising to the surface. His anger at Naveen for retiring, at Harper for agreeing to the fellowship, and at himself for crossing boundaries that, until today, had been impenetrable. He knew it was unfair to take it out on her, but she was here, her anger and fire rising to meet his. </p>
<p>“You did just as much?” He shouted. He moved closer, using his large frame to crowd her, but she planted her footing and held her ground, scowling up at him. “Have you been going around saving other interns from their mistakes?”</p>
<p>She faltered, a tiny flicker of doubt crossing her face. “Well….no.” </p>
<p>Ethan smirked. “I thought not.”</p>
<p>He glimpsed Dr. Varma edging towards the door. She was trying to leave unnoticed, not wanting to attract any of Ethan’s fury herself. </p>
<p>“Doctor Varma, you should return to your own patients.” Relief washed over her face and she hurried towards the door with a small ‘yes doctor’. </p>
<p>Ethan turned his attention back to Mia. “And you… you need to have a long, hard think about whether or not you’re ready to be here. It doesn’t matter that it’s your first day, or that you’re still learning. Whether this girl lives or dies is on you.” </p>
<p>Mia looked down at the ground, for the first time refusing to meet his gaze. “…I know Dr. Ramsey.” She said, barely above a whisper. Her cheeks were blotchy and her bottom lip was trembling, though she was doing her best to hide it. The fire that seemed to consume her moments earlier had vanished. He felt a pang of guilt, but now that he had found a place to direct his anger, it was like he had no control over it. He couldn’t stop until it was all out, at Mia’s expense. </p>
<p>“You still have no idea what’s wrong with her, and your first effort nearly killed her. This is the real world. No room for mista-“</p>
<p>“Hi! Dr. Ramsey? Sorry to interrupt.” The voice came from behind him. When he turned to look, he saw a petite young intern, looking annoyingly perky and cheerful. </p>
<p>Ethan groaned. “For the love of god, what now?”</p>
<p>Her smile didn’t falter under his obvious annoyance at her presence. “One of the nurses told me... that one of the other interns told them…. That one of the doctors said…” </p>
<p>Ethan felt like he was having an aneurism. “Skip….to….the…point.” He said, through clenched teeth. </p>
<p>Her eyes widened as she blurted out, “Dr. Toussaint needs to see you urgently!”</p>
<p>Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. He was beginning to develop a wicked headache. “Interns…” he muttered under his breath. Before he left, he turned and faced Mia one more time. “Remember what I said, Rookie. Next time I see you, you’d better have solved this case.”  He walked out without waiting for a response.<br/>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>
He rode the elevator to the eighth floor and walked into Dr. Toussaint’s office without knocking. She was eating a salad and had a forkful of lettuce halfway to her mouth when she froze in surprise. </p>
<p>“Well?” Ethan said, looking at her expectantly. </p>
<p>“Well….” Dr. Toussaint responded slowly, looking at Ethan with a mixture of confusion and concern. </p>
<p>Ethan stared at her. “An intern found me and said you wanted to see me.” He said with exasperation. </p>
<p>She shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” </p>
<p>Ethan sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. “Of course you don’t”<br/>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>
Later that afternoon, Ethan was at the nurse’s station, signing forms when Maggie appeared in front of him, looking stern. Not many things could shake Ethan, but when Maggie looked at him like that, he knew to be scared. </p>
<p>“Dr. Ramsey, I need to talk to you about those interns.” She said, narrowing her eyes at him. </p>
<p>The last thing Ethan wanted to deal with was more intern drama “What did they do now?” He asked with a groan. </p>
<p>“It’s not what they did, it’s what <em>you</em> did that we need to talk about.” </p>
<p>Ethan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Me? What did I do?” </p>
<p>“I know you are supposed to be some big shot but that doesn’t give you the right to use those kids as a punching bag. I heard you earlier, yelling and making threats and scaring that poor girl half to death.” Maggie scolded. </p>
<p>Ethan had been feeling guilty about his last exchange with Dr. Kent. It had been unfair to take out his anger on her. This was, after all, her first patient. He remembered his first patient, Delores, and what a disaster that had been. He had made almost every error you could make without killing her. He remembered feeling like a failure, the embarrassment and self-doubt almost drowning him before his attending had made him pick himself up and get over it.</p>
<p>“I was just trying to motivate….” Ethan mumbled, not meeting Maggie’s gaze. </p>
<p>“Please.” She said with a snort. “I know you are all about sink or swim and tough love, but there’s a difference between that and just being an ass.” </p>
<p>Ethan sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. This day couldn’t get any worse. </p>
<p>“I’m not telling you how to do your job.” Maggie said, with a glint in her eye that told him that was exactly what she was doing. “But you might want to focus a bit more on the love part of tough love.” </p>
<p>Now it was Ethan’s turn to snort. Sometimes it felt like Maggie spoke in greeting cards. </p>
<p>“Besides,” she said, picking up some files. “When they get scared they coming running to us, and I do <em>not</em> have time to be anyone's babysitter.” </p>
<p>“Alright,” he conceded. “Where’s the file for Dr. Kent’s patient.” </p>
<p>Maggie flashed him an overly bright smile as she held it out. </p>
<p>Ethan took the file back to his office to read it over. He flipped through the notes Dr. Kent had made and the tests that had been run. He knew what was wrong with the patient, but he had to admit, this was a tricky case for an intern. It wasn’t impossible, but not every doctor could solve this case alone their first year, let alone their first day. He wrote the prescription order and looked at his watch. It was 3 pm now, if the rookie hadn’t solved it by 6 pm, he would step in. </p>
<p>At 5:07, his pager beeped, and when he saw the number, he smiled. </p>
<p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>
Ethan walked into the patient room to see Dr. Kent sitting on the bed and chatting with her patient. She turned to look at him and broke into a big smile. The sight sent an unfamiliar tingle down his spine. </p>
<p>“I’m told you wanted to see me.” He said, wanting her to have control of this conversation. </p>
<p>“Annie’s going to be ok!” Mia said excitedly. Ethan had to try hard not to smile. </p>
<p>“That’s good news. I imagine this wasn’t a random miracle.” He said as he leaned against the doorway. “So? I’m waiting to hear whatever brilliant insight you arrived at.” He could play nice, but he couldn’t quite keep the sarcasm out of his voice. </p>
<p>“I wanna know too!” The patient, Annie, piped up. </p>
<p>“It was never the bacteria.” Mia stated confidently. “But it was something that happened on her trip to Indonesia. Annie, you told me you ‘went for’ your scuba license. You didn’t say you got it.”</p>
<p>Annie’s face fell. “…Because I didn’t get it.”</p>
<p>Mia nodded at the confirmation of her theory. Ethan liked seeing her like this. She was in charge. This was <em>her</em> patient now. </p>
<p>“You also told me that you’re prone to panic attacks when you get stressed out. Annie, did you have a panic attack while you were diving?” </p>
<p>Annie looked down at her hands and nodded, her lower lip quivering. “I always wanted to go scuba diving… but once I got down there, I just totally freaked out.” </p>
<p>“And you resurfaced too quickly.” Mia looked victorious. She met Ethan’s gaze as she handed him the chart as if daring him to challenge her. “The result? Decompression sickness… and labyrinthitis.” </p>
<p>She turned to Annie, her demeanor quickly softening again as she took her patient’s hand. “Annie, that’s an inflammation of your inner ear which caused your vertigo and nausea.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Annie exclaimed. </p>
<p>“And what treatment do you recommend Dr. Kent?” Ethan asked from the doorway. Mia turned to look at him again. He couldn’t help but marvel at the two identities she so easily switched between. One was a concerned and empathetic doctor that comforted her patients, the other was a confident professional who obviously did not like to be challenged. </p>
<p>“The symptoms can be eased with antihistamines but the condition itself can only be treated with time.” </p>
<p>Annie looked worried again. “How much time.”</p>
<p>Mia turned back to her patient, immediately softening her tone to ease Annie’s concern. “You can’t rush it, but within a few weeks you’ll feel like yourself again.” </p>
<p>Annie brightened. She reached forward and enveloped Mia in a hug. “Thank you so much Dr. Kent.” </p>
<p>Ethan walked into the hall with Mia following him, looking very pleased with herself. </p>
<p>“So I’ll fill out a prescription for some extra strength antihistamines…” She began but Ethan held up a hand to cut her off. </p>
<p>“Don’t bother, I already have.”  He said, pulling the prescription order from his pocket and handing it to her. She looked at it and then up at him, eyes flashing with fury. </p>
<p>“You <em>knew</em>?” She said, her voice rising. “When were you going to tell me?” </p>
<p>Ethan checked his watch and smirked at Mia. “I’d planned to give you another forty-five minutes. I pulled up Annie’s chart to diagnose it myself, in the likely event you blew it. But I wanted to give you the chance to right the ship first.”<br/>
He could see her seething. Her anger was making her face flush, the rosy hue outlining her cheekbones. Ethan had to force himself not to stare. </p>
<p>“I don’t appreciate being toyed with.” She hissed at him through clenched teeth. </p>
<p>Ethan almost laughed. “You’re not in a position to make demands. You’re going to do whatever I think will make you a better doctor. But,” he softened his tone, “you showed potential. Not to mention maybe the most important trait a doctor can have.”</p>
<p>Mia huffed, crossing her arms. “What’s that?”</p>
<p>“You listened.” He stated simply. “You took the time to get to know your patient. Their story, their hopes, their fears… sometimes those are the key to saving their life.” </p>
<p>Mia blushed, looking anywhere but him. He could tell she was pleased with the compliment and he was tempted to rest a finger under her chin and make her look at him. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride in her, that she had done well, she had exceeded his expectations. If only he knew how to tell her. </p>
<p>Before he could act on his impulse he saw Aurora Emery walk up. She was watching them with a critical gaze, and Ethan felt himself take a tiny step back, in case the girl could read his mind. </p>
<p>“What the hell?” Aurora said as she approached Mia. “You went and presented without me?”</p>
<p>Ethan bristled. He felt a strange sense of protectiveness towards Mia, and before he knew it, he was rounding on Aurora. </p>
<p>“Annie was your patient as well, Dr. Emery.” He said, with as much venom as he could muster. “What the hell have you been doing while Dr. Kent was making a diagnosis?”</p>
<p>He could see Mia analyzing this new situation with Aurora. He truly hoped she would not try to cover for her. He was not disappointed. </p>
<p>“I haven’t seen or heard from her in hours.” Mia said, raising her chin defiantly. “She’s been hiding in her aunt’s office.”</p>
<p>Aurora glared at Mia, but Ethan was done. It had been a long day and he needed a drink, badly. </p>
<p>“Dr Emery, patient assignments are not optional. Are we clear?” He said. Aurora didn’t answer. She looked down at the ground avoiding Ethan’s gaze. He took that as assent and turned to leave without another word. </p>
<p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>
Ethan changed into street clothes in his office. He didn’t want to risk meeting anyone on his way to the locker rooms. The bar, Donahues, was a sacred part of his daily ritual. He liked it because the only people who went there were college kids and hospital interns. He was easily the oldest one there, besides Reggie the barman, and that gave him a degree of anonymity. People there either weren’t interested in talking to him or too afraid to talk to him. If he had gone out with the other attendings, like they had asked him to many times, they would have ended up at a stuffy wine bar where he wouldn’t get a moment’s peace. To him, drinking was not a social interaction. </p>
<p>He opened the nondescript black door and was instantly welcomed by the blaring din inside. He walked up to the bar and took his usual stool. He didn’t know how Reggie kept it open for him, but it was always available when he wanted it. Reggie walked over and set down a glass of Macallen, neat, before Ethan had to ask. He held it up in a salute to Reggie who gave him a wink before going back to the college kids and their sugary drinks. </p>
<p>He took a sip, letting the whiskey bloom on his tongue before swallowing and letting the velvet liquid warm him from the inside. He glanced around the bar, taking stock of the usual characters. There were some frat boys in the corner, drinking cans of bud light and leering at anything with breasts. There was a group of girls on the dance floor, screaming the words to the song playing on the jukebox. There was a group of surgical interns, who looked like a high brow version of the frat boys. And finally, the medical interns, sitting in a booth, taking shots to celebrate surviving their first day. </p>
<p>He recognized a few of them, Dr. Varma, the girl who had lied about Dr. Toussaint, and Mia. The sight of her, here in the real world, startled him. She looked different. She had on denim shorts that showed off long, toned legs and an ass that had been completely hidden in her scrubs. She was wearing a green top that bared her shoulders and dipped, in a v, down her chest towards her navel. She had on several necklaces, a few of which, took advantage of the plunging neckline to settle between her breasts.<br/>
She looked relaxed, laughing easily with her friends, the day's worries erased from her face. </p>
<p>Suddenly, she looked up, as though she had felt his gaze on her. He tried to look away, but he couldn’t, her eyes locking on his as a knowing smile slid across her face. </p>
<p>He tore his gaze away and downed his drink. He should get out of here. But before he could pull out his wallet, he felt her take the stool beside him. He trailed his eyes down her body, unable to keep himself from looking now that she was so close. She pushed her hair over her shoulder and he caught a gentle scent of vanilla and honey that made his mouth go dry. She cast him a sideways glance and smirked at him. </p>
<p>“Something wrong Dr. Ramsey?” she asked, feigning innocence. </p>
<p>“Just noting how different you look out in the real world.” He said, locking his eyes with hers. He could feel the change in the air between them. It felt charged with electricity. Mia looked away, blushing as she signaled to the bartender. He noticed her glance down at his empty glass before ordering two gin and tonics. She slid one over to him and he took it, amused. </p>
<p>“What? Are you just learning how to drink?” He teased. She scoffed in mock offense. </p>
<p>“Hey! I think gin and tonics taste good!” She laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement at him over her glass as she took a drink. </p>
<p>He rolled the glass between his hands and chuckled, shaking his head. “You know I can’t be bribed into favoring you, right?”</p>
<p>She grinned at him. “I think you already favor me.” She said with a wink. </p>
<p>Ethan felt his breath catch in his throat. She was flirting with him. He knew he should put a stop to this but the whiskey has dulled his sense of urgency. </p>
<p>“You keep believing that.” He said with a sideways smirk at her. He downed his drink in one and then signaled to Reggie. “Two specials, thanks Reggie.”</p>
<p>“You’re on first-name terms with the bartender?” Mia asked curiously as she took a big gulp of her drink, trying to keep up. </p>
<p>“He’s an old friend.” Ethan said thinking back to all the nights he spent at this bar trying to forget the day. “I come here most nights.” He conceded, a little self-conscious. He expected judgment, but when he chanced a look at her, he only saw curiosity in her gaze.</p>
<p>“You don’t have anyone waiting at home?” She asked, coyly. Ethan almost laughed.  </p>
<p>“I’ll come here even when I do.” The humor in his voice died as he looked down at his empty glass. “I need some buffer between the hospital and the world. An airlock.” He sighed, running his hand over his face before turning to face her again. “Don’t take this job home with you Mia.” He said, urgently. He hated the idea of this vibrant girl sitting before him becoming as cynical and bitter as he had. </p>
<p>She noded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She seemed to be considering his words, but then she gave him a playful smile. “But you didn’t answer my question.”</p>
<p>Ethan chuckled. “No. Nobody waiting at home tonight.” She nodded and looks thoughtful for a moment. He wanted to ask if she has anyone but stopped himself. It’s not like it would matter anyway. </p>
<p>Reggie set the drinks down in front of Ethan with a wink. Ethan rolled his eyes at him in response, before sliding one of the glasses to Mia. “Here, try this.”</p>
<p>She took a sip and he saw a look of surprise cross her face before she quickly tried to school it into one of apathy again. </p>
<p>“Well, how’s it compare?” He asked. </p>
<p>She kept her face stony as she looked from him to the drink. “I’ve had better.”</p>
<p>“No, you haven’t.” Ethan challenged back and she immediately broke into a wide grin.</p>
<p>“Okay, you’ve got me. It’s amazing!” She said with a laugh. The sound of it sent tingles down Ethan’s spine. “What is it?” </p>
<p>“That’s a secret between me and Reggie.” He said, grinning back at her. “I’ll never tell.” </p>
<p>Her eyes flashed in a way that told him she wasn’t one to give up easily. He raised his glass to her. </p>
<p>“To your intern year. In the hopes you don’t completely blow everything you’ve worked your whole life for.”  He said with mock solemnity. </p>
<p>Mia laughed. “Morbid.” She said her eyes flashing with humor. “I like it.” They clinked glasses and Ethan downed his drink. </p>
<p>They fell into an easy silence, Mia looking around the bar contemplatively. Ethan felt the alcohol coursing through his veins and felt his resolve begin to weaken. He wanted to get to know this girl better, even if it was against his better judgment and all common sense. He wanted to make her laugh again. He opened his mouth, not sure exactly what to say when someone called to Mia from across the bar. </p>
<p>A surgical intern waved to Mia and held up a handful of darts. Mia looked at Ethan apologetically and he nodded at her to go. Mia ran over to the guy and took the darts. Ethan watched the way the guy looked at her and easily wrapped an arm around her waist. </p>
<p>Ethan threw some cash on the bar and walked out onto the street. The image of that intern with his arm around Mia’s waist seemed to be burned into his retina. He shook his head to clear it, furious with himself. He realized, with horror, that he was jealous. He had absolutely no right to be jealous; that guy was the exact kind of guy Mia should be with. He didn’t know what had come over him, flirting with her in the bar like that. He couldn't let anything like that happen again. As he walked back to his apartment, he promised himself that he would stay the hell away from Dr. Kent.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4 - Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again! Thank you so much to everyone for reading! This chapter takes place mostly outside of MC's storyline so most of it is how I imagine things went down behind the scenes. I hope you like it! As always, everything belongs to pixelberry.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ethan was exhausted. All night long he had been tormented by dreams of green eyes alight with laughter. When he woke, he was alone in his bed and achingly hard. He had tried everything to push the memory from his mind once he had arrived at the hospital, but he was finding it hard to focus on the charts in front of him. </p>
<p>He stood up from his desk, frustrated, and headed out into the corridor. Without thinking, his feet lead him in the direction of Naveen’s office. </p>
<p>When Ethan had first arrived at Edenbrook, Naveen had recognized Ethan’s talent for diagnostics and became his mentor. Naveen had challenged Ethan, but he was also kind and generous with his knowledge. Quickly, he and Naveen gained notoriety as a diagnostics team and were tackling the toughest cases side by side. Naveen became a father figure to Ethan, one that supported his medical career and pushed him to always be a better doctor. Ethan often visited Naveen when he needed advice, whether it be medical or personal. Naveen in turn relied on Ethan for company, having no family of his own, and they often stayed at the hospital late into the night discussing medical journals they had read. Naveen was more than just a friend to Ethan; he had become his family. </p>
<p>When Ethan got to Naveen’s office, the lights were off. Ethan looked at his watch and frowned when he saw it was already 8 AM. It was strange for Naveen not to be at work yet. He enjoyed the calmness of the hospital early in the morning, saying it gave him time to contemplate his patients and what his day might bring. Ethan had never known him to miss this time before. </p>
<p>He pondered what to do next, not wanting to go back to his office, and decided he should go see Harper instead. They needed to discuss the Junior Fellowship idea before it had time to gain any more traction. He knew Harper could be reasonable; he would just have to explain to her how stupid of an idea this was. </p>
<p>He turned the corner into the south wing and saw Dr. Banerji standing at the end of a corridor, looking confused. As Ethan approached him, he was taken aback by Naveen’s appearance. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, with dark circles suggesting he hadn’t slept in a very long time. His skin was pallid and waxy with a slight sheen of sweat. He watched Ethan approach without a trace of recognition in his gaze. </p>
<p>“Dr. Banerji?” Ethan asked, hesitantly. Naveen’s eyes seemed to come back into focus and he took in the space around him. </p>
<p>“Dr. Ramsey! Lovely to see you. How are you today?” Naveen asked, disregarding the look of immense concern on Ethan’s face. Ethan ignored the question. </p>
<p>“What are you doing here? Were you on your way to see Dr. Emery?”</p>
<p>“What?” Naveen looked at Ethan as though the question had been absurd. “No, I’m not. I’m just heading to my office. Were you looking for her?”</p>
<p>Ethan studied his friend’s face, concerned.  “Naveen, your office is on the other side of the hospital.”</p>
<p>Naveen looked around and seemed surprised to find that he was, indeed, in the wrong part of the hospital. He let out a strained chuckle. </p>
<p>“Oh! Silly me. It seems I am!” He laughed again, trying to diffuse the tension, but it died in his throat when he took in the trepidation on Ethan’s face. </p>
<p>“Are you feeling alright?” Ethan asked tentatively. </p>
<p>Naveen scoffed and waved his hand to dismiss the idea. “Yes, yes I’m fine. It was just a momentary slip. You’ll know what I mean when you reach my age my friend!” </p>
<p>Ethan’s concern didn’t dissipate. “Naveen….” He began, but Naveen placed a hand on Ethan’s arm to stop him. </p>
<p>“Please, Ethan, focus on the real patients.” He said with a sad smile. Before Ethan could argue further, Naveen set off down the hallway, this time in the right direction. </p>
<p>Ethan watched his friend disappear around the corner before continuing to Harper’s office. He wasn’t convinced Naveen was alright, but until he was ready to talk about it, there was nothing Ethan could do. </p>
<p>He knocked on Harper’s open door before stepping inside. Harper was sitting at her large, mahogany desk, her back to a wall made of glass that overlooked the lobby. She looked up from the document in her hand when Ethan entered. </p>
<p>“Ethan! To what do I owe this pleasure?” She smiled and gestured for Ethan to take to one of the chairs opposite her. Ethan sat and tried to rationalize the image of her in this setting. For as long as he had known Harper, he had never imagined her becoming Chief of Medicine. She had loved being a surgeon and was one of the best in her field. Ethan was shocked when she told him she gave up her scalpel for paperwork and answering to the board. He often wondered if she was happy with her choice. </p>
<p>“I need to talk to you about this Junior Fellow proposition that Dr. Banerji mentioned to me.” Ethan said, avoiding all preamble. </p>
<p>“Ahh.” She said with a knowing smile. “I’m guessing you are not a fan of the idea?”</p>
<p>“You know me well enough to not need to guess.” </p>
<p>Harper laughed and gave Ethan a challenging look. It was the same look she gave him when they were dating and Ethan disagreed with her, which happened in practically every discussion they had. They had debated everything from philosophy to where to go for dinner. Ethan thought they had lasted as long as they had for the simple fact that both of them enjoyed arguing.  </p>
<p>“Ethan,” Harper began, “It’s already done. The board has already approved it. It’s out of my hands at this point.” </p>
<p>Ethan scoffed. “Bullshit.” </p>
<p>Harper’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Excuse me?”</p>
<p>Ethan sat forward in his chair, locking eyes with her.  “We both know that if you wanted to, you could go back to the board and get them to change their minds in an instant. These inter-hospital staffing decisions don’t mean anything to them; they’re just following your lead.”</p>
<p>Harper paused, considering for a moment, before giving him an impish smile. “You’re right, as always, Ethan.” She said, unable to keep the humor from her voice. “But I happen to think it’s a great idea, so I won’t be going back to the board.”<br/>
Ethan gaped at her. “You can’t be serious.” </p>
<p>“On the contrary. I am thinking we should turn it into a little competition. The top intern at the end of the year gets the fellowship.” </p>
<p>Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated sigh. “And how are you planning on determining the top intern?”</p>
<p>“I’m not.” She said, clearly enjoying herself. “You will.” </p>
<p>Ethan’s anger flared. He would not be bullied into participating in this atrocity. He opened his mouth to argue but Harper beat him to it. </p>
<p>“In case you have forgotten Ethan, I am the chief now. I understand you are not happy about the situation, but I am not asking you to do this, I am telling you.” She glared at him across her desk. “If you have a problem with that, I can find someone else to lead the diagnostics team.”</p>
<p>Ethan was stunned. “Is that a threat?” He asked, in a low, steady voice. </p>
<p>Harper sighed and leaned back in her chair. “No, Ethan. I am merely laying out the situation and asking you to make a choice.”  </p>
<p>Ethan stood to go, knowing he had lost. He would spend the next year ranking the interns and watching as they all fought to be the best. It would be nothing short of horrendous. </p>
<p>He needed to clear his head, even more so than this morning. He thought about taking a walk to his favorite coffee shop, but then Harper cleared her throat and he knew that wouldn’t be happening. </p>
<p>“I might have forgotten to tell you, but you are leading rounds with the interns in 15 minutes.” She gave him a big, cheesy smile as he scowled at her. “You don’t want to be late.” </p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>“I hope you’re all excited! We are about to begin rounds!” The overly cheerful resident said, clapping her hands together. Ines was too peppy for Ethan’s taste; she acted as though the world was made of sunshine and rainbows and he preferred a much more…honest approach. “We’ll go around as a group led by a senior physician, and you’ll present your patients and field questions.” </p>
<p>Ethan looked at the group of interns. They all looked so excited, as if this was a school field trip, not a serious part of their job. He noticed Mia standing towards the back with her usual group of friends. But she wasn’t Mia, she was Dr. Kent, he firmly reminded himself. </p>
<p>“Today we have a very special guest!” Ines’s shrill voice broke him out of his reverie as she beckoned him forward. “Good morning Dr. Ramsey!” She said in a singsong voice. He felt like he was being introduced to a kindergarten class.<br/>
He heard a rush of whispers through the crowd of interns. Some looked delighted, others looked like they might lose their breakfast.</p>
<p>“Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” Ethan grabbed the stack of charts off the nurses’ station. “Let’s see who the interns are going to kill today…” He muttered sarcastically. </p>
<p>He heard a familiar scoff from the back of the crowd and some furious whispering. He locked eyes with Dr. Kent and cocked an eyebrow at her. “Something to say, Dr. Kent?”</p>
<p>Ethan saw Mia’s friend tug on her arm and shake her head, but Mia ignored her. She straightened and leveled her gaze at Ethan. </p>
<p>“Yes actually.” Mia said, rebelliously. “It’s our second day, you don’t have to make mean jokes to try and shake our confidence.” </p>
<p>Ethan stared at her, feeling frustration and something…else… build within him. Never in his life had he had an intern test him publicly like this. He held her gaze, but she stubbornly would not look away. He was fine with the challenge; if he had to, he could stare at her all day. </p>
<p>Ines cleared her throat and gave a small nervous laugh. </p>
<p>“Let’s maybe proceed with the….” She started, but Ethan stopped her. </p>
<p>“And has your confidence been shaken?” He asked. </p>
<p>Mia folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at him in defiance.<br/>

“Of course it hasn’t.”</p>
<p>He smirked. “Good. Because if <em>I</em> scare you then you aren’t remotely prepared for what you’ll face on a daily basis here.” Ethan rifled through the charts in his hands. “Actually, why don’t we start rounds with your patient.” </p>
<p> Mia stared, panic visible on her face before making her way to the front to take the chart. She held his gaze for a moment before confidently towards her patient’s room.  The rest of the interns exchanged hesitant looks before following her. Ethan shook his head, laughing to himself, before following himself.  </p>
<p>The man in the bed looked up at the sudden intrusion. He gaped at the group of doctors standing before him. </p>
<p>“Uh, are my eyes going or are they multiplying?” The patient asked, glancing around nervously. </p>
<p>Ethan broke through the crowd and stepped forward. “Good morning Mr. Knoblauch.” He motioned to the group of interns behind him and shot Mr. Knoblauch a look of mock horror. “They multiply, it’s horrible.” </p>
<p>The patient laughed and Ethan shot him a conspiratorial wink. On the ground beside the bed, was a young child, Mr. Knoblauch’s son. He let out a loud squeal as he crashed his toys together in mock combat. </p>
<p>“Sorry about Matthew.” Mr. Knoblauch said casting a worried glance at his son. “His school’s out for the summer. I usually take him to work with me.” </p>
<p>Mia stepped forward, smiling reassuringly at the patient. “No problem, Mike.” She turned towards the rest of the group. “Everyone, this is Mike Knoblauch, forty-three. He is my patient with Dr. Olsen.” </p>
<p>Mia gestured and a nervous-looking doctor with blond curly hair stepped forward. He was visibly shaking and had a sheen of sweat on his upper lip. </p>
<p>“Go on then.” Ethan said, nodding to the pair. “Present.” </p>
<p>The curly-haired doctor jumped at the sound of Ethan’s voice and nearly dropped the chart. Ethan had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. </p>
<p>“This is Mike Knoblauch, forty-three.” He began, his voice trembling. “Sorry, Dr. Kent already said that….” </p>
<p>“He’ll be forty-four by the time you’re done.” Ethan quipped. The other interns let out stifled laughs and Dr. Olson paled even more. Ethan had to avoid rolling his eyes. This was an absolute trainwreck. Ethan was about to tell Dr. Kent to put the kid out of his misery when he saw her mouth ‘You got this’ in her partner’s direction. That seemed to steady him and he took a deep breath. </p>
<p>“As I was saying, Dr. Ramsey,” He started again, quickly glancing at Ethan before burying himself in the chart. “He was in a single-car accident.” </p>
<p>“I don’t remember anything about it.” Mike added. Dr. Olsen ignored him.</p>
<p>“After stitching his lacerations, we found internal bleeding via ultrasound.” Dr. Olsen finished with a relieved sigh. </p>
<p>“How will you treat it?” Ethan asked. </p>
<p>“Umm…..rest and symptom control.” </p>
<p>Ethan nodded, releasing Dr. Olsen from his misery. He could see the young doctor practically slump with relief. That kid was going to need to develop some confidence if he wanted to make it at Edenbrook. </p>
<p>“You don’t think you should be taking the internal bleeding more seriously?” He heard someone ask from the group of interns. It was Harper’s niece. Ethan could already tell she was going to be a problem. Her confidence had made the dangerous slide into superiority, and it was only the second day. </p>
<p>Dr. Kent turned to her, obviously furious. “We considered surgery.” She practically spat at Dr. Emery. “But the bleeding isn’t severe enough for such an invasive procedure. If anything changes, we’ll reassess.” </p>
<p>Ethan felt himself beam with pride.  He was glad her ‘won’t take shit from anyone’ attitude extended beyond himself. </p>
<p>“How long will I have to stay in this godawful place?” Mike asked from the bed. </p>
<p>“A week, maybe more.” Dr. Olsen said absently. Ethan almost groaned. Apparently, he needed confidence <em>and</em> bedside manner. </p>
<p>“A week?” Mike exploded. Dr. Olsen cowered, seeming to realize his mistake. “You said it wasn’t severe. I can’t take a week off work! I have a kid. I have a mortgage! Christ knows how much this stay is already costing me!” </p>
<p>“I’m sorry Mike, but….” Dr. Olsen began lamely, but Mike wasn’t done. </p>
<p>“You aren’t sorry! You’re keeping me here to turn a profit! I’ve read about hospitals like this!” </p>
<p>Ethan was about to step in to help mitigate when Mia laid a comforting hand on Mike’s arm. </p>
<p>“Mike, it’s frustrating I know, but it’s not for nothing.” Mia said in a soothing voice. “Your bleeding doesn’t require surgery, but one false move and things could turn south. Gotta get you healthy Mike.” She nodded in the direction of Matthew, playing on the floor. “There’s people counting on you.” </p>
<p>Mike’s gaze softened as he looked at his son. He swallowed stiffly before nodding. “Fine, do what you gotta do.” </p>
<p>Dr. Kent gave his arm a small squeeze. </p>
<p>Ethan was impressed…again. It seemed to be becoming a theme with this girl. That level of empathy and the ability to calm an irate patient was something that took many doctors years to learn. Maybe he was starting to favor her after all. He shook his head, pushing the thought away. </p>
<p>“Let’s move on.” He checked the chart in his hand. “Dr. Green, your patient’s next.” </p>
<p>After an hour of rounds, they were finally done. Ethan had been impressed by a few of the interns, but they were the minority.</p>
<p>“Congrats!” Ines said clapping her hands together. “You’ve survived your first morning of rounds! That wasn’t so bad was it?” </p>
<p>Ethan rolled his eyes. How that woman could be so goddamn cheerful all the time was beyond him. </p>
<p>“Please note that every single one of your patients was alive when I last saw them. If they are not in the same state tomorrow, do not bother showing your face here again.” Ethan could almost hear a few of the interns audibly gulp. </p>
<p>Ethan went back to the nurses’ station to check his own charts when Maggie flagged him over. </p>
<p>“Dr. Ramsey?” She said, picking up a chart and holding it out to him. “Kyra Santana is in room 304. She was supposed to come in for her routine scan today but somehow broke her arm on the way here.”</p>
<p>Ethan took the chart, though he didn’t need to flip through it. Kyra was a regular patient at the hospital and a favorite of his. He knew her case well. </p>
<p>“Where is Dr. Calais?” He asked, though he didn’t need to. There was only one place Calais ever liked to sneak off to. </p>
<p>“He’s….<em>out</em>.” Maggie answered with a sarcastic smile. Ethan nodded and thanked her. He would take over Kayla’s case for the day. </p>
<p>He looked up and saw Dr. Kent still standing nearby, talking to her friends. He heard her say goodbye and before he could stop himself, he called out to her. </p>
<p>“Not you rookie, you’ve got one more to present.” </p>
<p>“I do?” She asked curiously as she made her way over.</p>
<p>Ethan internally chastised himself. What the hell was he doing? It had been out of his mouth before he even thought about what he was saying. Why was he inviting her along? She had her own patients and he was easily capable of handling Kyra on his own. He vaguely theorized that he was not the attending on any of her cases, so he would likely not see her the rest of the day, but that shouldn’t bother him. It <em>couldn’t</em> bother him. He shouldn’t want to spend time with this girl. But it was too late to take it back now. </p>
<p>He led her into Kayla’s room and saw Kyra sitting up in her bed, her arm in a sling. She brightened at the sight of the company. </p>
<p>“Please tell me you’re my new doctor.” She said, flashing Dr. Kent a big smile. </p>
<p>“I sure hope so!” Mia said, returning her grin. She turned and looked to Ethan for confirmation. </p>
<p>“Her usual doctor decided to go golfing instead of doing his job, so I’ve booted him off.” Ethan said, not bothering to damper the disapproval in his voice. “She’s yours now, Dr. Kent. Go on, present on her case.”<br/>
“Ooh yes, show me off!” Kyra interjected. </p>
<p>Mia let out a small chuckle and opened the file. “Ok, let's see…. Patient is Kyra Santana, twenty-eight years old. She has a fractured radius in need of casting.” </p>
<p>Ethan waited, but Mia didn’t add anything else. “That’s it?”</p>
<p>She bit her lip and looked towards Kyra. “Yes?” She ventured. “This feels like a trick question.”  </p>
<p>Ethan nodded; he’d anticipated her missing it. At least now he could claim this was a valuable learning opportunity for Dr. Kent. Even if the only one protesting was himself. </p>
<p>“Kyra, tell Dr. Kent what’s actually wrong with you.” </p>
<p>Kyra let out a theatrical sigh. “I’m afraid it’s cancer doc.”</p>
<p>“What?” Mia said, her eyes widening in shock. “But your chart says…” </p>
<p>“Check the cell count on the last page.” Ethan said, watching as she hastily flipped through the chart. “Indicative of?” </p>
<p>“Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.” Mia stated, her voice soft. She looked to Kyra who nodded grimly in confirmation. </p>
<p>“In my left lung, yeah.” </p>
<p>Ethan turned to Mia, his voice gentle. “The real problem isn’t always obvious. If it was, they’d let any idiot become a doctor.” He smirked and added with a dry laugh, “Though maybe they do.” </p>
<p>Mia nodded, pondering his words, before turning to Kyra. “I don’t understand. If you’re in for cancer treatment, how’d you break your arm?</p>
<p>Kyra gave both doctors a wide, mischievous grin. </p>
<p>“I was on my way here for another CT. I was going to take the subway, but I saw this bike abandoned on the side of the street. I’ve always wanted to learn how to ride a bike but never had one as a kid. So, when I saw one just lying there, it seemed like a sign.” She stifled a giggle. “Totally wiped out on the first corner. I broke my arm on a trash can because apparently, I’m <em>garbage</em> at riding a bike.” </p>
<p>Kyra burst out laughing; whether from the joke or the memory, Ethan couldn’t tell. Mia joined in, and Ethan found himself mesmerized by the sound. It rang off the walls in the tiny room, so unrestrained and free. It was infectious and, to his surprise, Ethan found himself chuckling along with them. Ethan rarely laughed openly like this, and it felt <em>good</em>. </p>
<p>Mia met his eye, smiling, and suddenly, the reality of the situation crashed down on Ethan. Just last night, he had made a promise to himself to stay away from Mia, yet here he was, pulling her onto extra cases and laughing with her like they weren’t in a hospital discussing a woman’s broken arm. Contempt for himself rose like bile in his throat. He needed to get out of there and fast.  </p>
<p>“Kyra, what you did was awesome. Seize the day, right?” Mia said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. </p>
<p>“Exactly!” Kyra agreed, beaming.</p>
<p>“Dr. Kent,” Ethan said coolly, making both women jumped. “What’s your treatment plan for Kyra?”</p>
<p>Mia looked at him, startled by his sudden change in mood. “I was going to say we need to cast her arm but now….”</p>
<p>“Good, do that.” He said, cutting her off. Before she could say anything else, Ethan turned and fled from the room.<br/>
-------<br/>
Ethan spent most of the afternoon hiding in his office. He knew he hadn’t technically done anything wrong, but something about being around Mia made him feel reckless. He couldn’t understand why this girl had such a hold on him; he had only known her for two days!  He had to get this under control and until he did, a little distancing couldn’t hurt. </p>
<p>He was busy researching a case when his pager went off. A patient was being airlifted from Mass Kenmore. He sprang to his feet and ran to the elevator to meet the chopper on the roof. The rival hospital rarely gave up patients. If they were sending a patient over, this had to be an interesting case. </p>
<p>He and the response team pushed the patient through the halls on a gurney, looking for an open room. The hallway was packed with interns, looking on curiously at the man seizing on the bed. He snarled at them to get out of his way as they ran. </p>
<p>Naveen came down the hallway towards them, drawn by the commotion. When he saw Ethan, he hurried to his side. </p>
<p>“What do we have Ethan?”  Naveen asked, pulling on gloves. </p>
<p>“This is the guy Mass Kenmore choppered over. Sustained seizures. They couldn’t figure out what’s wrong with him. His vitals tanked en-route.” Ethan said, frantically searching for a place to examine the patient. “Damn!” He cursed in frustration. “None of these beds are open.” </p>
<p>Naveen grabbed Ethan’s arm, turning his attention towards an operating room. “This OR is free. We’ll examine him in there.” </p>
<p>Ethan tried to move towards the doors but found his path blocked by a crowd. The interns were murmuring excitedly, pushing each other to get a better look at the patient. One girl stepped forward. </p>
<p>“Dr. Benerji, can we watch you work? I’m qualified to-“</p>
<p>“GET BACK!” Ethan roared in frustration. “This isn’t time for your damn resumes!” </p>
<p>The interns stepped away from the gurney, clearing a path, and the medical team rushed inside the OR. They transferred the patient, still seizing, onto the table. Ethan grabbed the chart for the patient and began flipping through it rapidly while Naveen bent closer to examine the man. </p>
<p>“Male, mid-sixties. Admitted to Mass Kenmore for stomach pains and trouble breathing.” Ethan read out loud. </p>
<p>Naveen began asking him questions and Ethan felt himself relax; his mind clearing of everything except for the problem in front of him. <em>This</em> was what he lived for. Working with Naveen, solving cases, working against an unknown enemy to save someone’s life, was what he was meant to do. </p>
<p>After several minutes of debate, the answer was suddenly clear. The rush of solving the problem hit Ethan’s system like a drug, delivering a dose of adrenaline and dopamine that he had come to crave. </p>
<p>“We need to put this man in a pharmacological coma.” Ethan said, helping to hold the man’s thrashing form so the serum could be injected into his arm. Soon, the man quieted, and Ethan and Naveen stepped back, pleased with the results.<br/>
“Good work as always, Dr. Ramsey.” Naveen said, clapping him on the shoulder. “It is always the greatest pleasure to work along side you.” </p>
<p>“The pleasure is always mine.” Ethan replied, grinning. “You can go, I can finish up here.” Naveen gave him a grateful nod and moved out of the room. </p>
<p>Ethan sighed contentedly, still riding out the high when he glanced up at the observation deck. He was just in time to see Dr. Kent, laughing with that surgical intern she had been with at the bar, before tackling him out of his chair and onto the floor. </p>
<p>Ethan felt a surge of jealousy wash over him. He wanted to go up there and punch that scalpel jockey in the face. He wanted to ask her what she saw in that idiot. He wanted to yell at her and tell her she could do so much better. </p>
<p>But he couldn’t do any of those things. </p>
<p>Ethan had to stop them, though. He could feel bile rising in his throat at the thought of her up there with him, alone. He had to do something. </p>
<p>“If anyone’s up there, I’ll have your career!” He roared at the observation window. “You,” he said, turning to a nurse. “go up and check!” </p>
<p>The nurse scurried out of the room, but Ethan didn’t wait for a response. He didn’t want to know what she would find up there. He turned, and stormed from the operating room.<br/>
-----<br/>
Ethan spent the rest of his day in a sour mood. He sulked through the hallways, snapping at anyone he came across. He couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital and go somewhere where there was scotch. </p>
<p>He was sitting in his office, finishing up some paperwork, when he heard a crash in the hallway followed by violent coughing. He ran into the hallway and saw Naveen sprawled on the floor next to an overturned chair. His body was wracked with a coughing fit, shoulders tense, tears streaming from his eyes. There were speckles of blood on his shirt. </p>
<p>Ethan rushed to his side and held Naveen’s shoulders to support him. After several minutes, the coughing subsided, though Naveen was still struggling to breathe properly. </p>
<p>“Stay here! Ethan said standing. “Let me get some help and we’ll get you a bed…” </p>
<p>Naveen held up his hand and shook his head furiously. </p>
<p>“No.” Naveen stated simply, but with a finality that scared Ethan.</p>
<p>“Naveen, you need help!” Ethan said, looking down at his mentor.  </p>
<p>Naveen shook his head again. “Take me to your office Ethan.” Naveen said, holding out his hand for help off the floor.</p>
<p>Ethan wanted to argue but didn’t know what to say. He grasped his friend’s hand and pulled him to his feet. He looped Naveen’s arm over his shoulder to support him as they made their way, slowly, to Ethan’s office. He helped Naveen into a chair before opening a cabinet behind his desk to grab a bottle of water. He offered it to Naveen who accepted it thankfully. </p>
<p>Ethan sat opposite his mentor and watched him wearily. He was so thin. How had Ethan not noticed how much weight he was losing? </p>
<p>He waited anxiously for Naveen to speak.  Ethan didn’t want to push Naveen too hard, but he was struggling to contain the barrage of questions storming within him. Finally, Naveen met Ethan’s eye, and instantly, Ethan could tell it was not good.<br/>
“Well, Ethan, as I’m sure you can tell by now, I’m sick.” Naveen said dryly. Ethan nodded and cleared his throat, tamping down the fear rising inside him. </p>
<p>“What is it?” He asked, running through the catalog of diseases in his mind, each worse and more serious than the last. </p>
<p>Naveen laughed sardonically. “That’s the ironic part. I don’t know.” </p>
<p>Ethan gaped at him. “Well then we should run some tests!” He said, earnestly. “We’ll get you admitted and figure out what’s wrong with you. <em>I</em> will figure out what’s wrong with you!” </p>
<p>Naveen shook his head and gave Ethan a sad smile. “No.” </p>
<p>“What do you mean, no?”</p>
<p>“I mean, that I don’t want to be admitted to the hospital.” Naveen said, “I want to buy a one-way ticket to somewhere sunny, that I always wanted to go but never made it to. Fiji or Tahiti perhaps. I want to live out my days on a beach and die in the sun.”</p>
<p>Ethan stared at his friend in shock. He couldn’t let his mentor die, especially not alone on a beach somewhere. He would figure out what was wrong with him and he would cure him. </p>
<p>“Naveen, don’t talk like that.” Ethan began. “I can figure this out! I can make you better!”</p>
<p>“No Ethan.” Naveen stated, quietly. “You can’t fix this.”</p>
<p>“You’re not even going to let me try?” Ethan thundered, standing from his chair so fast it fell over backwards. “You need to let me help you Naveen!”</p>
<p>“Ethan, my mind is made up.” Naveen said, his voice rising for the first time. “I do not want to spend my final days being a charity case in this hospital. I don’t want to have friends and colleagues poke and prod me and look at me with pity. I won’t do that.”</p>
<p>Ethan paced around the office, tugging at his hair in frustration. </p>
<p>“How can you just give up?” Ethan asked. “After everything we have been through together, all the cases we have solved, all the times it seemed like there was no hope and then we figured it out, and you don’t even want to try?” </p>
<p>Naveen looked at Ethan with such affection, Ethan had to look away. </p>
<p>“Ethan, I’m sorry. But I won’t be a patient, and I obviously can’t keep practicing. I am going to turn in my resignation to Harper first thing in the morning.” Naveen said. </p>
<p>Ethan dropped back into his chair, eyes brimming with tears. Naveen reached out and took Ethan’s hands in his. </p>
<p>“I can leave here knowing I am leaving my legacy to good hands. You are ready to lead the diagnostic team by yourself; you don’t need me anymore.”</p>
<p>Ethan looked at Naveen, horrified. “You think I give a <em>damn</em> about the diagnostic team?”</p>
<p>Naveen laughed and shook his head. “No, but I hoped it would lighten the blow.” </p>
<p>He met Ethan’s gaze and continued in a low whisper. “Ethan, you are the greatest accomplishment of my career. Seeing you grow into the doctor, into the man you have become, is one of the greatest joys of my life. You have been like a son to me, and I will never be able to express how grateful I am for your friendship.” </p>
<p>Ethan felt tears spill onto his cheeks. He opened his mouth but the lump that had formed in his throat prevented him from speaking. </p>
<p>Naveen gave his hand a small pat and stood from his chair. Ethan followed him to his office to collect his things and then they slowly walked towards the lobby together. </p>
<p>Ethan still didn’t speak, thinking instead of the time he and Naveen had shared together. He thought of the first case they had ever worked together and how young and scared he had been. Naveen had been patient, guiding Ethan and shaping him even at that early stage. He thought of the papers they had co-authored and the presentations they had given. But mostly, he thought about the long nights spent talking in Naveen’s office. He was the best friend Ethan had ever had, and now, he was going to die.<br/>
Rage, sudden and powerful, overcame Ethan. How <em>dare</em> Naveen just give up. Did he not think Ethan was capable of fixing him? Did he doubt his abilities? Ethan couldn’t let his friend die alone on some beach. After everything Naveen had done for Ethan, he couldn’t fail him like this. </p>
<p>He stormed ahead of Naveen, letting his fury propel him into the lobby. </p>
<p>“You can’t do this Naveen. I won’t let you.” Ethan thundered, turning to block his mentor’s path. </p>
<p>Naveen sighed, looking weary. “It must be done, Ethan. Not everything is in your control. It’s time you finally learned that.” </p>
<p>“You are not my teacher anymore!” Ethan roared. </p>
<p>Naveen gave him a sad smile. “I am always your teacher.”</p>
<p>The rage inside Ethan became irrepressible. He let out a strangled cry and punched the wall next to where they stood. He hung his head, not able to look at Naveen due to shame and grief. </p>
<p>“Dammit Naveen.” He said. He kept his eyes shut. He knew he couldn’t watch Naveen walk out the door. It would be too real, too final. </p>
<p>When he finally heard the door close after his friend, Ethan turned and walked back into the hospital.</p>
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